It took an extra period - and a whole lot of drama - but the Warriors managed to escape Game 1 of the NBA Finals with a 124-114 victory over the Cavs on Thursday night.

Cleveland and Golden State traded the lead back and forth in the final minutes with Stephen Curry and LeBron James hitting big shots down the stretch. After an off-ball foul by Klay Thompson, George Hill stepped to the free throw line with an opportunity to win the game. He made the first attempt to tie things up at 107, but he missed the second only for JR Smith to recover the ball. Smith inexplicably dribbled the ball out to halfcourt, killing the rest of the clock as though the Cavs had the lead.

The Warriors took advantage of the second chance in overtime, dominating the final five minutes and winning the extra period, 17-7. Curry scored 29 points and dished out nine assists, and Kevin Durant added 26 points of his own in 46 minutes of action.

Unfortunately for the Cavs, they wasted James' huge night. The four-time MVP finished with a playoff career-high 51 points on 19-of-32 shooting, but the rest of his teammates combined to go 25-of-66, including 7-of-30 from 3-point range.

(SN Illustration)

LeBron James stats from Game 1 of 2018 NBA Finalshttps://images.performgroup.com/di/library/sporting_news/4c/3d/lebron-james-game-1-stats-060118jpg_q72jw5kwqpab1mebraifn1qn0.jpg?t=-1180588085&w=500&quality=80

End of fourth quarter: Cavs 107, Warriors 107

11:28 p.m. ET - LeBron James makes a tough layup, but Stephen Curry answers with an and-one finish. George Hill is fouled on a cut on the ensuing possession, and he hits one of two free throws. But JR Smith comes up with an offensive rebound, only to dribble the ball out to halfcourt and kill the clock. He must have thought the Cavs were ahead. Tough break for Cleveland.

11:25 p.m. ET - Kevin Durant is called for a charge, but upon further review, the officiating crew changes it to a block on LeBron James. Durant hits both free throws to tie the game.

Cavs 104, Warriors 104 with 32.1 seconds left. Cleveland ball.

11:19 p.m. ET - LEBRON. JAMES. The Cavs superstar takes it to the rim and finishes through contact. Oh my, we have ourselves a game here.

End of third quarter: Warriors 84, Cavs 78

10:52 p.m. ET - The Cavs managed to survive the third quarter, only losing the period by six points. Golden State played some classic Warriors offense, incorporating multiple players and moving the ball. Stephen Curry and Kevin Durant each have 21 points with 12 minutes to go...

Halftime: Cavs 56, Warriors 56

10:12 p.m. ET - Stephen Curry's 30-footer at the buzzer ties the game before halftime. The two-time MVP has 18 points and six assists in 21 minutes. LeBron James is once again doing it all for the Cavs with 24 points on 9-of-11 shooting and four assists. Let's see if Cleveland can avoid being smothered in the third quarter like so many other Golden State opponents.

End of first quarter: Cavs 30, Warriors 29

9:40 p.m. ET - The Cavs take a one-point advantage to the bench after 12 minutes. LeBron James already has 12 points (4-of-4 shooting) and three assists, and Kevin Love looks good in his return from a concussion with nine points and four rebounds. Stephen Curry leads the Warriors with 11 points, including two deep 3-pointers.